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October 15-17, 2017 – US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017

US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017
US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017

Event: US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017

October 15-17, 2017
Princeton, New Jersey

The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017 will be held October 15-17, 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey. This will be the sixteenth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.

This year, the conference will open with a policy discussion on the Trump Administration’s current and future policies in Northeast Asia from a variety of regional perspectives, and will examine its potential impact on Taiwan defense affairs in the short, medium, and long term. We will then discuss the threat and response options for Taiwan, and how the island could exploit its adversary’s weaknesses in both traditional and emerging domains – covering air, land, and sea, as well as cyber and space. The final two sessions will extrapolate on those responses, and will examine their potential implications on developing business opportunities for the defense and security industries in both Taiwan and the United States.

The first conference in this series was the St. Petersburg, Florida event where former Taiwan Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming gave the keynote address in March of 2002. The second conference in the series was held in February 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, the third in October 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona, the fourth in September 2005 in San Diego, California, the fifth in September 2006 in Denver, Colorado, and the sixth in September 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min gave the keynote address at the seventh conference in the series, held in September 2008 on Amelia Island, Florida. The eighth conference was held in September 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the ninth in October 2010 in Cambridge, Maryland, and the tenth in September 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. The eleventh conference was held in September 2012 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the twelfth in September 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. The thirteenth conference in October 2014, the fourteenth in October 2015, and the fifteenth in October 2016 all took place in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government.

Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.

Registration is now open at the 2017 US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference website.

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News U.S. Government

2016 – Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China

The U.S. Department of Defense has released its annual report to Congress on the military power of China.
2016 – Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PDF)

One major section (beginning on page 86) is called Force Modernization for a Taiwan Contingency.

 

There have been no signs that China’s military posture opposite Taiwan has changed significantly. The PLA continues to develop and deploy military capabilities intended to coerce Taiwan or to attempt an invasion, if necessary. These improvements pose major challenges to Taiwan’s security, which has been based historically upon the PLA’s inability to project power across the 100 nm Taiwan Strait, the natural geographic advantages of island defense, Taiwan’s armed forces’ technological superiority, and the possibility of U.S. intervention.

China appears prepared to defer the use of force as long as it believes that unification over the long term remains possible and that the costs of conflict outweigh the benefits.

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U.S. Government

Proposed Taiwan Initiatives in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), 2016

Update: November 16, 2015

The original version of the NDAA 2016 bill vas vetoed by the president in October of 2015. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the “Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356” – sending a new version of the bill (which the House had already passed on November 5, 2015) to the President for signature.

In that House version of the bill, Taiwan is listed as a potential recipient of funds to participate in the new South China Sea Initiative (page 883).

However, during its deliberations on November 5, the House removed all the other Taiwan amendments from both the House and Senate versions of the original bill. During this process, the House also made a statement regarding its views on Taiwan, which was entered into the congressional record. The text of the relevant sections:

 

The House bill contained a provision (sec. 1257) requiring the Secretary of Defense to invite the military forces of Taiwan to participate in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise if the Secretary has invited the military forces of the People’s Republic of China to participate in such maritime exercise.
The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.
The House recedes.
We note the matters addressed in the House provision are addressed elsewhere in the agreement.

 

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 1263) that would express the sense of the Senate on Taiwan’s asymmetric military capabilities and bilateral training activities.
The House bill did not contain a similar provision.
The Senate recedes.

 

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 1264) that would encourage the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program of exchanges of senior military officers and senior officials between the United States and Taiwan to improve military to military relations between the United States and Taiwan. The House bill contained a provision (sec. 1257) that would require the Secretary of Defense to invite the military forces of Taiwan to participate in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise if the Secretary has invited the military forces of the People’s Republic of China. The Senate amendment also contained a provision (sec. 1263) that would express the sense of the Senate on Taiwan’s asymmetric military capabilities and bilateral training activities.

We believe that the United States, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8), should continue to make available to Taiwan such defense articles and services as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense. The United States should continue to support the efforts of Taiwan to integrate innovative and asymmetric capabilities to balance the growing military capabilities of the People’s Republic of China, including fast-attack craft, coastal-defense cruise missiles, rapid-runway repair systems, offensive mines, and submarines optimized for defense of the Taiwan straits. With regards to training, we believe the military forces of Taiwan should be permitted to participate in bilateral training activities hosted by the United States that increase credible deterrent capabilities of Taiwan, particularly those that emphasize the defense of Taiwan Island from missile attack, maritime blockade, and amphibious invasion by the People’s Republic of China. Toward this end, we believe that Taiwan should be encouraged to participate in exercises that include realistic air-to-air combat training, including the exercise conducted at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, commonly referred to as “Red Flag.”

We recommend that the Secretary of Defense carry out a program of exchanges of military officers between the United States and Taiwan designed to improve military-to-military relations between the United States and Taiwan. The officer exchanges should include field-grade officers, particularly officers with combat and specialized experience, and general officers, who can provide support to Taiwan to develop and improve its joint warfighting capabilities.

We also note that section 1259A of the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 113-291) includes the recommendation on inviting Taiwan to the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief portions of multilateral exercises.

 

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 1264) authorizing the Department of Defense to conduct exchanges between senior military officers and senior officials focused on a variety of subjects between the United States and Taiwan designed to improve military-to-military relations between those two countries.
The House bill contained no similar provision.
The Senate recedes.
We note the matters addressed in the House provision are addressed elsewhere in the agreement.

 
Sources:
The November 5 reconciliations to the bill, along with the statement on Taiwan, start on page H8010 of the congressional record:
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2015/11/05/house-section/article/H7747-5

Text of the final House version, with which the Senate concurred on November 10:
http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20151102/s1356_sus_xml.pdf

 

On May 15, 2015 the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA, which provides funding for the U.S. military) for fiscal year 2016. An amendment (#69, included as Section 1257) to the House NDAA bill (H.R. 1735) expressed support for Taiwan participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) – a large international naval exercise, held every two years off the coast of Hawaii – if China is also invited to participate.

 

Section 1257 of H.R. 1735

SEC. 1257. REQUIREMENT TO INVITE THE MILITARY FORCES OF TAIWAN TO PARTICIPATE IN RIMPAC EXERCISES.

(a) In General.–The Secretary of Defense shall invite the military forces of Taiwan to participate in any maritime exercise known as the Rim of the Pacific Exercise if the Secretary has invited the military forces of the People’s Republic of China to participate in such maritime exercise.
(b) Effective Date.–This section takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and applies with respect to any maritime exercise described in subsection (a) that begins on or after such date of enactment.

Source: Congress.gov

 

 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate is deliberating its version of the NDAA, which as of May 26, 2015 includes two Taiwan-related initiatives. One is language that would give the Pentagon authority to train and equip “a variety of South China Sea states” for maritime security, and to provide funding to do so. Taiwan is one of several singled out for participation.

In addition, one section of the S. 1376 bill expresses the Senate’s support for “Taiwan Asymmetric Military Capabilities and Bilateral Training Activities”

 

Section 1263 of S. 1376

SEC. 1263. SENSE OF SENATE ON TAIWAN ASYMMETRIC MILITARY CAPABILITIES AND BILATERAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES.

It is the sense of the Senate that—

(1) the United States, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96–8), should continue to make available to Taiwan such defense articles and services as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense;

(2) the United States should continue to support the efforts of Taiwan to integrate innovative and asymmetric measures to balance the growing military capabilities of the People’s Republic of China, including fast-attack craft, coastal-defense cruise missiles, rapid-runway repair systems, offensive mines, and submarines optimized for defense of the Taiwan straits;

(3) the military forces of Taiwan should be permitted to participate in bilateral training activities hosted by the United States that increase credible deterrent capabilities of Taiwan, particularly those that emphasize the defense of Taiwan Island from missile attack, maritime blockade, and amphibious invasion by the People’s Republic of China;

(4) toward that goal, Taiwan should be encouraged to participate in exercises that include realistic air-to-air combat training, including the exercise conducted at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, commonly referred to as “Red Flag”; and

(5) Taiwan should also be encouraged to participate in advanced bilateral training for its ground forces, Apache attack helicopters, and P–3C surveillance aircraft in island-defense scenarios.

Source: Congress.gov